An earthquake engineer has told the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission that the intense vertical shaking during the February 2011 earthquake wasn't unique and was similar to events overseas.
One year on from the February 22nd earthquake, scientists are meeting to discuss how the science behind the shaking was communicated.
The Christchurch earthquakes could prompt a further shake up of the insurance industry. Home owners are already being hit with premium increases of up to 30%.
On October 23, 2010 Christchurch's Hagley Park hosted one of the biggest ever free concerts in New Zealand, following the first big earthquake to shake the city a month earlier.